The “Grinch” Stole Showbiz’ Christmas – The Online Piracy Dilemma

Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it. ~ G.K. Chesterton

The recent release of the “Sherlock Holmes” sequel draws attention to a real life mystery: How best to thwart online piracy? A click of the mouse can lead to a bootleg copy which in turn impacts the movie’s bottom line. Jeffrey Brown’s PBS Newshour interview showcases this dilemma and the opposing solutions being offered by giants of the entertainment and Internet industries, respectively, support of Congress’s SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) vs. a “follow the money” approach.

Although online piracy is a global occurence, the mystery here is not a whodunit but rather a what-to-do-about-it? Is this the new reality – lack of intellectual property protections in the digital world? Since the proverbial genie is out of the bottle, won’t diminished copyright protection have to be factored into today’s business models?

Just as the Grinch had no heart, online pirates profit by disregarding intellectual property rights. In the end, they won’t prevail; Showbiz will still have its Christmas. Share your thoughts on how we can protect intellectual property in the Internet Age.